Too Dangerous to Desire by Alexandra Benedict Read Free Book Online Page A

Capt’n.”
    Only Lieutenant Faraday was aware of Adam’s true lineage. The rest of Adam’s crew believed him a gentleman with his money and manners, but knew no more about him or the reason behind his pirate quest. Yet the tars were keen to follow their captain anywhere, so long as he provided them with a steady income and a chance to avenge Black Hawk’s many victims.
    Faraday limped toward the door. “I’ll let you get back to your . . . ward, Capt’n.”
    “Lieutenant . . .”
    “I’ll fetch you before the meet, sir.”
    The door closed.
    Adam dismissed the lieutenant’s cheeky quip, and rubbed his palms across the length of his face. Fire danced beneath his feet, the impatient jig the result of years of fruitless searching for the infamous buccaneer.
    I have you at last.
    There was nothing to stand between Adam and the ruthless brigand—except for his “ward.”
    Adam looked out the window to spy the woman still chopping wood. What was he going to do with Evelyn while he went to apprehend Black Hawk? She spooked so easily. He needed to find some way to make her feel safe at the cottage while he was gone. But how?
    “Bloody hell.”
    Evelyn dropped the axe with gusto. Her fingers burned with energy. She minced the wood into kindling, thinking about Adam.
    He was not just a quiet cottager, mourning the loss of his wife. He was a captain. He was aggres sive. He was a man—with secrets.
    Had she really expected to find a safe haven with him? The man had a dual nature—all men did. She knew that, too. So why had she agreed to stay at the cottage with him?
    “You’re very proficient with an axe.”
    She paused, startled.
    Adam stood beside the house with a shoulder braced against the wall. He watched her closely, his stone blue eyes friendly.
    His eyes!
    She remembered now; she had trusted the look of kindness in his eyes. That’s why she’d agreed to stay at the cottage with him.
    She wondered, “Where’s the lieutenant?”
    “He’s gone.”
    Adam approached her slowly. Her bones tingled as the expression in his eyes turned smoldering—aggressive.
    With care he grasped the axe and curled back her fingers before he took the tool from her grip.
    She was bewitched by his robust touch. It singed her skin, firm strokes that swelled the blood in her veins and made her heart throb.
    Adam tested the weight of the axe. “It’s quite heavy.” He observed her closely. “You don’t look very fatigued, though.”
    She was baffled by her peculiar reaction to the man, overwhelmed even by the warm—yet unfamiliar—sentiments gathering inside her. “I’ve chopped wood for years.”
    “You’re strong, then?”
    She gathered her brow. “I suppose so.”
    “Wait here.”
    Adam set the axe aside and disappeared inside the cottage. He returned shortly—armed with two blades.
    Evelyn stared at the luminous steel, resplendent in the sunlight, and took an instinctive step back. “Where did you get the swords?”
    “I keep the pair in the chest at the foot of the bed.”
    “Why?”
    “Because I might need them one day.”
    He spoke with conviction, as though he was sure he would need them one day.
    She shied away from the blade—and from Adam. “What are you going to do with the weapons?”
    “I’m going to teach you how to dance—with a sword.”
    She looked at him, bewildered. “But why?”
    “So you won’t be afraid of him anymore.”
    Would such a day ever come? She had to admit, it was an appealing idea. But she cringed in the face of violence. How was she going to learn to fight?
    “I can’t, Adam.”
    “Take it.” He lifted the blade higher. “You al ready possess the strength to wield it; you only lack the skill. Let me teach you to protect yourself.”
    She stared at the sword, tendrils of fright—and anticipation—wrapping around her spine.
    You won’t be afraid of him anymore.
    This was her one chance to learn how to defend herself. And despite her misgiving, her distaste for